View: https://youtu.be/5Ah8kSJ5gdY?si=WgOCSLEbg1zVF_WU
Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" (Oscar), "Tsubasa no Gaika" 一式戦闘機「隼」, 翼の凱歌 - video
A clip today from the movie "Tsubasa no Gaika" featuring a Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" with Okawa Takashi, played by actor Tsukita Ichiro* "in the cockpit"**. An absolute pleasure to see a "Hayabusa" doing all these aerobatics!
『Tsubasa no Gaika』 (The Triumph of Wings) is a war film produced by Toho and released on 15 October 1942.
Synopsis
Two boys, orphaned at a young age when their father—a pilot and aviation engineer—perished in a storm during a crash, were raised as foster brothers by the wife of the crashed pilot. The elder brother aspired to become a juvenile air cadet and rose to become an ace pilot (fighter pilot) in the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. The younger brother, after training at an aircrew training school, developed into a test pilot for the Nakajima Aircraft Company's Ki-43 (later the Type 1 Fighter "Hayabusa") at Nakajima Aircraft, growing into test pilot who excel both in development and on the battlefield.
The narrative weaves in the untold story of developing the Army's primary fighter of the era. By featuring stepbrothers who pursue distinct paths – one as an Army pilot, the other as a civilian pilot – it crafts a success story depicting their growth: one as a frontline soldier, the other as a civilian on the home front. Furthermore, by introducing a widow who watches over the two men, it illustrates the mindset of the beautiful Yamato Nadeshiko, the quintessential Japanese woman, during wartime ( Yamato nadeshiko - Wikipedia ).
The film was sponsored by the Army Air Headquarters. All aircraft used in filming were actual aircraft, with the exception of some special effects scenes. Furthermore, the aircraft's details, such as the sighting device and oil cooler, scenes from engine start-up through take-off to landing, and aerobatic flight, are depicted with remarkable clarity. The "Hayabusa", arguably the third protagonist, is filmed extensively and without omission over a long duration, making this work akin to a promotional video for the "Hayabusa". In this respect, it stands alongside the 1940 film "Burning Skies" and the 1944 film "Kato's Hayabusa Fighter Squadron" – both of which also utilised real aircraft extensively for filming – as an extremely valuable visual historical document.
Furthermore, the screenplay was co-written by Akira Kurosawa, who would later become a world-renowned director, and Bōhei Toyama. The special effects scenes, like those in contemporary war films such as The Battle of Hawaii-Malay and The Kato Hayabusa Combat Squadron, were handled by Eiji Tsuburaya ( Eiji Tsuburaya - Wikipedia ). However, due to the cooperation of the Army, many scenes featured actual aircraft, meaning the special effects scenes were limited to crashes and shoot-downs.
Director: Yamamoto Satsuo
Screenplay: Toyama Bonpei, Kurosawa Akira
Cast: Oka Jōji, Tsukita Ichirō, Irie Takako
Music: Hattori Ryōichi
Cinematography: Kanakura Taiichi
Production Company: Toho Film
Released 15 October 1942
Running time 109 minutes
